This Crush
by vampyremiyu
Summary: Based on events in manga chapter 24, Zero goes crazy when he belives he's killed Yuki. Will his control falter further as he falls deeper into madness? Possible spoilers for chapter 24 and some possible OOC-ness. Yuki x Zero pairing.


THIS CRUSH  
A Vampire Knight Ficlet

Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess

AUTHOR'S NOTES: A "What if...." fanfic based on events in chapter 24. The song lyrics below were further inspiration. Sorry, this isn't a song fic. Zero x Yuki pairing. Hints of lemon. Told from Zero's point of view. Possible spoilers for those who have not read chapter 24 (volume 5) of the manga. A Standard Disclaimer appears at the end of the story.

====*====*====

"Do you ever think  
When your all alone  
All that we can be  
Where this can go  
Am I crazy  
Or falling in love  
Is it really  
Just another crush

Do you catch a breath  
When I look at you  
Are you holding back  
Like the way I do  
Cause I try and try to walk away  
But I know this crush  
Ain't goin' away"

-- Lyrics from "Crush" by David Archuleta

====*====*====

"You're...alive," he muttered again, his fingers gently stroking through Yuki's hair. "I thought I'd killed you...."

"You're hurting me...Zero."

But Zero Kiryu couldn't let go of Yuki Cross.

It had been a horrible dream. A nightmare, really. His hand covered in blood. And Yuki...standing before him, her uniform top covered in blood. He'd done it. He'd finally done it! And he couldn't stop, the smell of blood overwhelming his senses, calling to him.

'What will happen to you now that you've lost your hope for living?'

But he hadn't lost it. Not yet. She was right there. In his arms. He could feel her breath on his shoulder, her heart beating steadily inside her chest.

"Zero?"

Eyes widened as he realized he was hurting her, squeezing her too tightly. His arms gave way, but only slightly. She moved in his grasp and for a moment he was terrified. Perhaps he was still dreaming...and she wasn't really there....

"Zero!"

If she hadn't grasped him, cupping his face in her hands, he would have continued to think he was dreaming. But she was real. She was in front of him, near tears and worried as hell. He heard her heart skip a beat before beating faster. He blinked once, twice, just to be sure. Yet she was still there. Her breath rushed from her as she looked him directly in the eye.

"Are you okay?"

His body suddenly felt numb, everything melting at the sight of her eyes. Air rushed from his chest, his muscles relaxing and his mind spinning. "Yeah," was all he could manage to say.

Yuki sat back a little, the worry on her face replaced by relief. And her smile, as huge and heartfelt as he'd ever seen it. It made him smile, too, just a little.

"Thank goodness," she replied, giving his face a gentle squeeze between her hands.

His own hands reached for her, his eyes closing as relief swept through him also. He savored the feel of her against his face. Wanted to open his eyes and see nothing but her smile. Needed to hold her close again, just to be certain she was real.

'Even though I know I should never yearn for you....'

Without thinking, his body leaned forward. Holding both of her hands in his, he squeezed them gently, pulling them away from his face. His eyes opened only a little, his other senses guiding him as he moved closer. She didn't move away either. In fact, she leaned closer, surprising them both as their lips met in a gentle kiss.

But the gentleness lasted only a second, as Zero poured all of his fear, his desire, his need, into that kiss. He practically ate her up, his lips pressing and caressing her. Arms embraced her, pulled her tighter against him. It was madness to continue. He had to let her go. Had to stop.

'I'm sorry.'

Yuki knew she should stop him. He would if she asked. But a part of her wanted this...needed it. She was exhausted with worry for him. Feared for him. Cared for him. Her heart swelled and threatened to explode as he pulled her closer, his arms encircling her. She returned the eagerness in his kiss, earning a groan from the young man. She in turn gasped into the kiss as his hands cupped her bottom and pulled her as tight against his as he could.

Zero felt himself letting go. His body moved of its own accord, falling forward and pushing Yuki underneath him. If his weight was too much, the young woman said nothing. The kiss broke for air, but he wasted no time in tracing a line with his lips across her cheek and down toward her neck.

Yuki sighed as Zero nuzzled her neck. A secret part of her had always wanted this. Not just to give him blood, but something...more. Any other time she would have blushed thinking about Zero in this way. But now, seemingly free of inhibitions, she clawed at him. His shirt came upward as her fingernails trailed up his back. His skin was like fire and she wanted to feel more of it.

The young man was encouraged by her response and answered with a curiosity of his own. Suckling the skin of her neck, one hand unbuttoned her jacket then set to work on her blouse. He undid three, four buttons before his knuckles grazed her bare skin. Contact burned his skin, tiny explosions rumbling in his groin.

And the yearning for her blood hit him like a ton of bricks.

'You may be taken over by a vampire's merciless instincts....'

Shizuka's voice echoed in Zero's head. He should have listened. Should have. But he was so in the moment. So into Yuki -- the feel of her beneath him, the sound of her breath on his ear -- that he ignored the voice completely.

But by doing so, he allowed the hunger to wash over him. Consume him.

Yuki moaned as Zero licked at her throat. She could feel his teeth lengthening against the pulse in her neck. She was unafraid, exhilarated by his fingers moving along her rib cage. Consumed by her own passion, she hugged him tightly, her fingers weaving through his hair in encouragement.

"Zero...."

Kiryu moaned at the sound of his name. But it had been hard to hear her over the rush of blood in his ears. Over the impish voiced telling him he needed to drink. To feed. And her blood would taste so sweet. Holding her close, writhing and moaning as he drank from her...the image was more enticing than he was willing to admit.

And just as he pulled back to bite into her soft flesh, he heard Shizuka's voice once again.

'What will happen to you now that you've lost your hope for living?'

Zero immediately stopped. Lost hope? Perhaps he had. But not now. Not any more.

He had Yuki.

Although his body was totally against it, he pulled away from the young woman. His body felt heavy as he lifted himself from her, his eyes still heavy with desire. Gazing down at her, he felt his heart lurch, his breath catch and his body tighten further. With her jacket open, her blouse unbuttoned just enough to reveal her bra, and her hair all disheveled, a wild look in her eye, she was a breathtaking sight. His heart lurched again and he found himself smiling down at her.

"I'm sorry."

"Zero?" Yuki blinked. She had felt so warm. So loved. Her body craved his touch and she couldn't take her eyes off of his lips as they moved. He was smiling but he wasn't making sense to her. Why was he apologizing?

"Yuki...."

"What--?"

"We need to stop," he told her. At her frown, he gave her a reassuring kiss, a brief press of the lips. He smiled as she sighed while he pulled away. "One of these days, Yuki, I might not be able to stop."

He was finally making sense. Sort of. "And if I don't want you to stop, Zero? What then?"

"Then we don't stop," he said with a lopsided grin. His heart lightened with her comment, but there was still much to be done. Much to be dealt with.

'What will happen to you now that you've lost your hope for living?'

'I've found something else to live for, Shizuka. I've found hope. And I won't let her go.'

"Come on." He helped her from the bed giving her one final hug before letting her go. "We're going to be late for patrol."

Yuki made sure her shirt was buttoned properly, adjusting her skirt and smoothing out her jacket. Heat from the intimate moment turned her cheeks a dark pink. But she smiled up at Zero and replied, "Then let's go."

He watched as she moved away. Zero knew he had done the right thing. Stopped them before either of them made a mistake. And a huge one at that. But he knew one thing for certain.

He was certified crazy for Yuki.

"Zero! Come on!"

And not just for her blood.

"I'm coming! Sheesh."

This crush wasn't going to go away.

~FIN~

DISCLAIMER:  
Vampire Knight, the title and its characters, are the property of Matsuri Hino (c) 2004, published by Hakusensha in Japan and translated and distributed in America and Canada by VIZ Media LLC. No permission was asked to use the characters for this story. No profit is being made, either.


End file.
